Opened: Construction on the Colonial Theatre began in 1905 and they were nearly ready to open when there was a little setback due to the April 1906 earthquake and fire. With a bit of a rebuild, the Colonial debuted October 6, 1906, the first of the major theatres to get open downtown. It was on the north side of the street between Jones and Leavenworth. The 1963 photo was taken by Jack Tillmany.
Seating: 990 listed at one point. The Chronicle noted the closing
night crowd was 1,100. The Chronicle's opening day article noted that
the theatre originally didn't have a balcony.
Architects: Reid Brothers were the original architects. William Curlett & Son designed a 1909 renovation that added a balcony, improved the stage facilities, and upgraded the decor. Eleven images from those renovation plans are at the bottom of the page.
This ad on page twenty five of the February 25, 1906 Chronicle offered investors a piece of the exciting theatre business. At the time they were looking at an April 1 opening. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the ad via Newsbank.
Evidently there was a shortage of investors. If you were interested, there was an attractive booklet you could look at. The ad was on page twelve of the March 22, 1906 Chronicle. They didn't make that "next month sure" opening.
After a bit of a rebuild they finally got open October 6. The page fifteen story in the October 6, 1906 Chronicle:
"NEW THEATER OPENING TO BE NOTABLE EVENT -- The Colonial Theater has the proud distinction of being the first new permanent playhouse in this city, with an additional honor because it has been built in the heart of the burned district, on McAllister, near Leavenworth street. This handsome little theater, which Martin Kurtzig has built, and which will be the home of a stock company under the direction of that popular veteran comedian Frank Bacon, is to open its doors to the public to-night with a production of DuSouchet's popular American farce comedy 'The Man From Mexico.' The occasion will be a notable one, and a large audience, including many prominent people, will be present.
"The Colonial Theater is said to be one of the best equipped playhouses in the West, and is the only Class A fireproof building that has been erected for amusement purposes in this city since the fire. There are no balconies and the main floor has sufficient pitch to enable everybody to obtain an unobstructed view to the stage. There is not a pillar or post inside the auditorium. The furnishings are comfortable and attractive. The policy of the management will be to change the bill every week, with standard plays."
Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
A page from the October 6, 1906 souvenir program with a photo of the president and first manager of the Colonial, Martin Kurtzig. It's from the Glenn Koch collection. See his post on the BAHT Facebook page for 26 more images from the program.
In an October 7 article titled "New Theater Starts Out Auspiciously," the San Francisco Call reported on the opening:
"More people were turned away from the doors of the Colonial Theater last night than there was room within to accommodate... All the permanent seats were not in place, but folding chairs served as substitutes... fashion crowded the boxes and higher-priced portion of the parquet..."
Thanks to Peter Field for locating the article.
A seating chart from a 1908 guidebook. It was part of a post by Kevin Walsh on the BAHT Facebook page.
A 1909 renovation and a reopening as the Savoy:
William Curlettt & Son designed the 1909 renovations. This proscenium elevation is from his plans. See more images from the set that's in the Gary Parks collection at the bottom of the page. The theatre reopened as the Savoy on December 12, 1909.
The cover of the program for "Tillie's Nightmare," a 1911 show starring Marie Dressler. It's on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library.
A quite different layout as the Savoy. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing
this main floor seating chart from a copy of the 1915 edition of the San
Francisco Blue Book that's in his collection.
It became the Oriental on September 30, 1913. Thanks to Glenn Koch for sharing this card from his collection. It was a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
It was back to the Savoy name on October 14, 1916. The theatre started running movies in 1919. The September 1919 issue of The Architect and Engineer noted that the theatre was getting a remodel designed by Reid Brothers to become "...a high class moving picture theatre…" Thanks to Cinema Treasures contributor Joe Vogel for finding the article.
It later went back to legit, still as the Savoy. It became the Plaza on September 27, 1922. Joe Vogel reports that at the time it was being used by a repertory company that had grown out of Berkeley's Greek Theatre Players. The theatre became The President on May 14, 1925. In the 20s it was operated by Henry Duffy, who had a string of playhouses up and down the coast. His empire fell apart following the 1929 stock market crash.
An announcement of a refurbishment and reopening of the President in the September 17, 1932 issue of Motion Picture Herald. The plan was to offer first run films with "elaborate stage revues." Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding the article for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
By the mid-1930s the stage shows were gone and it was double feature films for 15 cents. Peter Field notes that the theatre was evidently vacant for several years -- it didn't get a listing in city directories after 1939.
In 1941 it became a burlesque house. Jack Tillmany comments: "Burlesque saved the day in 1941 when Eddie Skolak turned it into the President Follies, and as such it served San Francisco audiences through the halcyon war years, the 1950’s and into the 1960’s." Skolak had previously run his shows at the Cort/Capitol Theatre on Ellis St.
Historian Peter Field notes that burlesque at the Capitol, and later at the President, made economic sense as the theatres were both located "in a largely single male neighborhood, to say nothing of all the servicemen coming to the Tenderloin from all the military bases around the Bay Area. As a Tenderloin resident, Skolak was a little unusual. He held steady jobs, and he lived in the same place—the Hotel Crossen on Ellis between Powell and Mason—for a number of years. With his name, occupation, and Chicago antecedents, he might have been a real character, but a relatively dependable one. After all, he eventually bought the President Theatre and kept it going to 1963. And he left a substantial estate from its sale to his wife. Not so bad."
In 1949 the Andrews Real Property Index (included on the site sfgenealogy.com) showed that Skolak's note on the President was held by the Anglo California National Bank of San Francisco. Skolak died in 1960.
Field comments on the sale of the building: "In 1963, the building (and, presumably, the property) came up for sale. The News-Call Bulletin reported on August 22, 1963 that St. Boniface Church, which is right in back of the President’s lot, bought the building at a probate auction, beating out the struggling Actor’s Workshop. St. Boniface planned to build a ten-story structure offering 24/7 religious services, as well as other services. The Chronicle reported the same day that 'The theater was up for sale in the probate of the will of Mr. Skolak, who died three years ago.' They reported the successful bid in the August 20 auction had been $218,375."
Closing: Eddie Skolak's widow closed the President on September 5, 1963 and it was demolished shortly thereafter. The September 2, 1963 Chronicle had a page one story about the impending closing of the theatre:
The September 6, 1963 Chronicle had a fine page one article about the closing:
"A Frenzied Final Night at the Follies -- Hundreds of outraged burlesque patrons hammered on the doors of San Francisco's famed old President Follies last night in a futile frenzy to see the final show. Inside, a standing-room-only crowd of 1100 shouted their appreciation as the strippers went through their last routines in the venerable theater at 60 McAllister St. When the second show got underway at 10:10 p.m. with five girls beginning to peel on the ancient runway, the management was forced to lock the doors because the mob was beginning to turn the place into a sizzling fire hazard.
"HOWL -- At least 300 dedicated fans queued up outside, thereupon set up a howl that could be heard for blocks around. The theater's Burn's guards called for reinforcements. Six patrol cars, with 25 officers, responded. 'It looked like an explosive situation,' said one policeman. Within 15 minutes, the police thinned out the crowd, hustling them up and down McAllister. They even nabbed half a dozen excited youths nipping up the fire escape.
"PASTIES - Inside the theatre, Fire Department inspectors removed shouting men from the aisles and packed them into the balcony as burlesque queens stripped themselves of their pasties and hurled them fluttering onto the heads below. Caught up with the emotion of it all, her favorite stamping ground sold, stripper Edy Rich twitched her naked breasts and burst into sobs. 'Take It Off' rose like an ocean roar. All the girls waved a dainty good-by and Northern California's last burlesque house was no more." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the article.
Status: It was demolished in 1963. The owner, St. Boniface Church, had intentions of building something. Peter Field notes:
"But
they were apparently never able to arrange the financing, so the old
theater was demolished instead and a parking lot was built on it. This
was an old dodge for Tenderloin property owners who, starting in the
1950s, could no longer make the hotels on them pay after the boom years
of WW II and Korea ended and the Tenderloin’s population—and that of the
rest of SF—began dropping. So they started leasing these properties to
parking companies."
After about 20 years as a parking lot, the Dorothy Day senior housing complex was constructed on the President's site.
Lobby views:
The President's lobby in 1963. The photo by Larry Moon is from the San Francisco Public Library collection.
The mirrors in the ladies lounge. It's a 1963 photo by Larry Moon is from the San Francisco Public Library collection.
Auditorium views:
A look in from the back of the house c.1912 when the theatre was called the Savoy. Or perhaps by the time of this shot it had been renamed the Oriental. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A c.1912 postcard view of the proscenium. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting it on eBay. One copy on the site had an October 23, 1913 postmark. The back of the card reads:
"Souvenir of Savoy Theatre 'The Playhouse Beautiful' McAllister St. Near
Market San Francisco." They had changed the name of the theatre to the Oriental on September 13, the month before the card was mailed. There's also a copy of the card on Calisphere from the Museum of Performance and Design Performing Arts Library.
A c.1912 postcard view from the Jack Tillmany collection.
Another Savoy postcard from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A February 1917 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. All the Oriental decor had been cleared out.
A Larry Moon photo from 1963 gives us a last look at the proscenium of the doomed theatre. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for this version of the photo. There's a smaller one on the San Francisco Public Library website.
Backstage:
"Smile Even If It Hurts." We're offstage right in 1963. It's a Larry Moon photo from the San Francisco Public Library collection. Gary parks comments: "Reminds me of the graffito that was in some theatre somewhere--where a performer wrote, 'Think THIS crowd is hard, wait 'til you play OAKLAND!'"
The trap room. It's a 1963 photo by Larry Moon that's in the San Francisco Public Library collection.
More exterior views:
A 1906 pre-opening view from the San Francisco Public Library collection. The theatre got open in October. Construction had begun in 1905.
Another late 1906 view from the Jack Tillmany collection. It's unknown if the timbers and cribbing in front had anything to do with the theatre.
A March 22, 1907 view looking west on McAllister St. toward what's left of the Hall of Records in this SFMTA photo. Thanks to Bob Ristelhueber for finding it in the SFMTA collection for a post on the BAHT Facebook page.
The theatre in 1917, here renamed the Savoy, running Billy Clune's film "Eyes of the World." Note that the open air loggia on the 2nd floor has been filled in. Sometime c.1913 the theatre got a balcony. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo.
The opening of D.W. Griffith's "Way Down East" on Sunday October 17, 1920. The theatre later went back to being a legit venue. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that the sign on the side of the building says "Savoy for Joy!"
The theatre in 1917, here renamed the Savoy, running Billy Clune's film "Eyes of the World." Note that the open air loggia on the 2nd floor has been filled in. Sometime c.1913 the theatre got a balcony. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo.
The opening of D.W. Griffith's "Way Down East" on Sunday October 17, 1920. The theatre later went back to being a legit venue. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. He notes that the sign on the side of the building says "Savoy for Joy!"
Theatre as the Savoy (for a second time) running D.W. Griffith's "Way Down East." It's a San Francisco Public Library photo.
"Daddies" opened at the President September 9, 1928. It's a photo in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library where they curiously give it a 1951 date. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for dating the photo.
The play "She Couldn't Say No" with Charlotte Greenwood opened in November 1929. This is our first look at the new starburst marquee. We're looking west on McAllister toward Leavenworth with Market half a block behind us. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. There's a smaller version on the San Francisco Public Library website where they note it was taken by Stroupe & Schreiner.
"Daddies" opened at the President September 9, 1928. It's a photo in the collection of the San Francisco Public Library where they curiously give it a 1951 date. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for dating the photo.
The play "She Couldn't Say No" with Charlotte Greenwood opened in November 1929. This is our first look at the new starburst marquee. We're looking west on McAllister toward Leavenworth with Market half a block behind us. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the photo. There's a smaller version on the San Francisco Public Library website where they note it was taken by Stroupe & Schreiner.
Looking toward Market St. from Larkin in 1939. Thanks to Gianni Corso for locating the photo for a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group.
A May 7, 1940 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. The depression is still hanging on with two big pictures for 15 cents.
A May 7, 1940 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. The depression is still hanging on with two big pictures for 15 cents.
At McAllister and Leavenworth on June 5, 1948, the last day of operation for the 5-Line streetcars. They were replaced with trolley buses. The photo by Tom Gray appears on the SF Railway Museum Facebook page. A version of the photo from the Jack Tillmany collection appears on the San Francisco Public Library website.
A 1948 billboard for the Gorgeous Girls at the President Follies. It was on the east side of Seals Stadium on 16th St., west of Potrero. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A billboard up in 1949 for the President on the Allen Hotel on the southwest corner of Eddy and Leavenworth. Thanks to Peter Field for finding the photo. He notes that the building on the left at 253 Leavenworth, when it was between legit tenants, had a history of operating as a brothel, a front for call girl operations, and a cafe that was headquarters for a Vietnamese gang into a variety of rackets. He comments: "The building serves as an example of how Tenderloin building owners either prefer tenants operating illicit businesses because of the higher rents they can charge, or settle for them because they can’t find a legit business to occupy the location."
A detail of the poster in the 1949 photo from Peter Field. He's the author of the 2018 Arcadia Publishing book about the neighborhood "The Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time." It's available through Amazon.
A 1948 billboard for the Gorgeous Girls at the President Follies. It was on the east side of Seals Stadium on 16th St., west of Potrero. It's a photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.
A billboard up in 1949 for the President on the Allen Hotel on the southwest corner of Eddy and Leavenworth. Thanks to Peter Field for finding the photo. He notes that the building on the left at 253 Leavenworth, when it was between legit tenants, had a history of operating as a brothel, a front for call girl operations, and a cafe that was headquarters for a Vietnamese gang into a variety of rackets. He comments: "The building serves as an example of how Tenderloin building owners either prefer tenants operating illicit businesses because of the higher rents they can charge, or settle for them because they can’t find a legit business to occupy the location."
A detail of the poster in the 1949 photo from Peter Field. He's the author of the 2018 Arcadia Publishing book about the neighborhood "The Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time." It's available through Amazon.
Looking toward Market from near Hyde St. in March 1957. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the photo by an unknown photographer in the Open SF History Project collection. The site's caption:
"View east from center of McAllister to Hastings law school with students out front on left (building demolished 2022), 100 McAllister (former Empire Hotel), President Theater. Old Federal Office Building on right."
A detail that Art extracted from the 1957 photo.
A July 1963 look at the theatre's vertical from Christopher Snowdon on the BAHT Facebook page. He notes that it was on eBay with other photos from a collector who had acquired many images from the Chronicle when they were cleaning out their morgue.
A 1963 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. There's a smaller version on the San Francisco Public Library website.Jack comments: "Yes, all the light bulbs were still in operation when it closed. Lotsa press. The President company moved out to the Victoria afterwards and that's how the Victoria became the Follies. But that's ANOTHER story."
A 1963 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. There's a smaller version on the San Francisco Public Library website.Jack comments: "Yes, all the light bulbs were still in operation when it closed. Lotsa press. The President company moved out to the Victoria afterwards and that's how the Victoria became the Follies. But that's ANOTHER story."
A 1963 photo by Larry Moon from the San Francisco Public Library collection.
The boxoffice in 1963. It's a photo by Larry Moon from the San Francisco Public Library. The theatre closed September 5.
An October 1963 post-closing view by an unknown photographer. It's on the Open SF History Project website.
A plan of the front of the building at mezzanine level with office space and restrooms. 
An October 1963 post-closing view by an unknown photographer. It's on the Open SF History Project website.
Another October 1963 photo on the Open SF History Project website.
A fine October 1963 view by an unknown photographer showing the side of the building. It's on the Open SF History Project website. The site also has another similar view. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for spotting these four October views in the collection.
Images from the 1909 renovation plans in the Gary Parks collection:
Information about the architects for the renovations as well as a nice look at the upgraded stagehouse with a much higher grid.
A section through the redesigned building. The balcony was new construction.
A closer look at the proscenium box area house right.
A section view of the proscenium. Gary comments: "I really love that layered proscenium. Nice to know it survived ’til
the end (well, there was that Chinese Decor Interlude, but that was
relatively superficial)."
A detail from the proscenium drawing.
A main floor plan. On the left at the top is a section through the sloped passage of the dressing room area. Below is the plan of the dressing room wing at stage level, below that the plan below at sidewalk level. Below center on the left is a south elevation and a Leavenworth St. elevation. Leavenworth is on the left edge of the plan.
A closer look at the main floor plan.
A plan of the front of the building at mezzanine level with office space and restrooms.
The balcony level floorplan.
A closer look at the balcony seating area.
A partial facade elevation. Thanks, Gary!
More information: Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller.
For a fine history of the neighborhood see Peter M. Field's 2018 Arcadia Publishing book "The Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time." It's available through Amazon.
Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep site has a fine article about Unit Block McAllister that discusses the President. See the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre, which they list as the President Follies.
For a fine history of the neighborhood see Peter M. Field's 2018 Arcadia Publishing book "The Tenderloin District of San Francisco Through Time." It's available through Amazon.
Mark Ellinger's Up From The Deep site has a fine article about Unit Block McAllister that discusses the President. See the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre, which they list as the President Follies.
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